Chestee henry pond



0-. H. POND. AUTOMATIC SIGNALING DEVIGE FOR TIME SERVICE.

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. 13, 1889..

q/m/bnmey N. PETER5, Phmum her. WmMngion. n. c.

.UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHESTER HENRY POND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SELF IVINDING CLOCK COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, Y.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING DEVICE FOR TIME-SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,846, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed May 3, 1889.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER I-IENRY POND, acitizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signaling Devices for Time-Service, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the preliminary signals for the transmission of time over an electric circuit and the synchronizing or other correction of time-pieces included in said circuit may be given with greater accuracy than heretofore.

The invention will be readily understood by an inspection of the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the operative parts of an instrument embodying the invention, with the electric circuits in diagram.

In order to understand'the invention and operation of the devices, a description of the present method of transmitting time-signals generally employed upon the principal lines of railways will be necessary. These signals are now sent by the hand of the operator at the central station. The devices here described are intended to take the place of the manual operations.

The railroad time-service is generally performed at the hour of ten in the forenoon, and consists of the following operations: ,At 9.57 the operator at the central station opens his key and writes the word time in Morse characters slowly during fifty seconds, when there is a pause of ten seconds. At 9.58 the operator again opens his key and writes the letter I in Morse characters (consisting of two dots) slowly for fifty seconds, when he allows another pause of ten seconds. At 9.59 the operator turns a switch which throws the standard clock into the circuit. This clock then, by the devices connected therewith, opens and closes the circuit once each second for fifty seconds, and then leaves the circuit open for another pause of ten seconds, and at precisely ten oclock the standard clock closes the circuit one full second. The impulses thus transmitted over the line are for the correct-ion and synchronizing of the va- Serial No. 309,429. (No model.)

rious clocks in the circuit. Lastly, after this close of the circuit for one full second, the signaling operator repeats three times the letter S in Morse characters, followed by the numerals 10, and closes the circuit, after which the ordinary business of the line is resumed.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be explained how the devices illustrated are arranged to perform the operations described with comparatively little labor on the part of the operator. The main line L may be traced from the ground at G through the main battery O and the switch S. As shown in the drawing, none of the time-transmitting devices are in circuit.

The operative part of the instrument for transmitting the preliminary signals is shown at A. It consists of a train of wheels driven by the weight W, and motion is thereby given to the wheel B at such a rate as to revolve once in fifty seconds in the direction indicated by the arrow. It is prevented from turning by the pin 1) resting against the upper end of the lever Z, which forms part of the key K. Upon the shaft C are three disks D, E, and I insulated from each other, but all in electrical connection with the shaft C, and this latter is connected by the wire L with the main line L.

The operation of transmitting the signals is as follows: At a second or two preceding the hour 9.57 by the standard clock the operator turns the switch S so that it rests upon the point 3. This puts in circuit the wire 1 and the insulated spring 11, which is in contact with the disk D. At precisely 9.57 the operator depresses the key K. This releases the wheel B, which turns under the stress of the weight IV and its connected train, and, being geared to the shaft C, the disks D and E and F are all revolved therewith. The disk D has out upon its periphery, as will be seen,

volved several times by one revolution of the wheel B. The result is that the telegraphic word time is automatically repeated over the line with entire regularity until the pin 1) on the wheel B again meets with the top of the arm 1 upon the key K. The operator then the Morse letters time, and this disk is returns the switch S from the point 3 to the point .9. This connects with the line through the wire 2 and the spring a, which is in contact with the disk lll. At precisely 0.58 the operator again depresses the key K, which releases the wheel 13, as before, and the con.- nection is made through the disk E with the lines L and L. The disk E has upon its periphery the Morse character I, and this will, therefore, be repeated regularly during the time the wheel 13 makes a rcvolution-that is, fifty seeonds-at the end of which time the pin 1) again meets the end of the arm L. The operator then turns the switch from the point .9 to the point .5. This throws into the circuit the devices connected with the. standard clock, which represented at T. The clock itself is in a local circuit Z, which includes the battery 0 and the eleetro-magnet M. The armature m of this electro-n'iagnot is connected to the main line ll by the line l'j The stop It, against which the armature on. is brought when attracted. by the magnet, is connected with the point s by the line L". The devices Y, connected with the armature m, are intended to relay the signals given by the clock T over the local circuit l and to increase the time that the main circuit shall remain closed for the transmission of the clock-signals. These devices consist of a train of wheels operated by the weight \V and the levers X and Y. The lever Y, pivoted at 7 and pressed downward by means of a spring y, has one end resting upon the top of the armature-lever in. while the armature is in its back position. A second. lever X, pivoted at :11, has its free end resting upon a projection upon the armature-lever, as shown. The spring S tends to hold the armature in a position away from the n'iagnet.

The signals sent by a standard clock are always made as brief as possible, so that the rate of the clock shall not be affected by its operatin any device to keep a circuit closed For any considerable length of time. The relay herein described is intended to lengtlumv the signals of the clock sufficiently to make them operative over the long line.

The operation is as follows: lVhcn the local. circuit Z is closed by the clock, the armature n1, is attracted, the armature-lever is brought against the stop It, and the main battery 0 is thrown to line. The clock-signals are so exceedingly brief that they would tail to be operative throughout the circuit; but the time of closing the circuit is lengthened by the operation of the two lovers Y and X, for as soon as the armature is brought up to the magnet and the circuit-closing point at the upper end of the a1'1nature-lever is brought against the stop It the end of the lever Y drops behind the armattire-lever and rests upon the pinj). At the same time the end of the lever X is released and it is ;immediately caused to revolve by means of the weight \V and its connected train, which gears with a pinion upon the shaft :r. The lever X is at one side and therefore clear of the lever Y; but connected with the lever X. is the cam X, which revolves therewith. As the cam revolves it strikes the pinp upon the lever Y and throws the latter upward and out of the way of the armatnre-lever. The pin p limits the upward movement of the lever Y. As soon as it has passed above the end of the armattnfedevcr, the circuit having previously been opened by the clock, the

spring S draws the armature-levcr back, the

lever X passes over and strikes upon the projection upon the armature-lever, and the devices come to rest in the position shown in the drawing. This is repeated each second, and the length of time that the main circuit is thus closed depends upon the time which it takes the lever X. and its connected cam to revolve Thus, it the clock closes the circuit, say, but one-twentieth or one-tenth of a second, the devices described. can easily be arranged to hold. it closed, while thus relay ing it, for onc jtourth. or one-half a second. The clock havingnowpertormml its functions of .listributing its time upon the circuit, the operator, as soon as the last or tmhoelork signal has been given by the clock, turns the switch S upon the point s and depresses the key K. This sends the current through the wire 2-3 and the spring-lever a to the disk l which has upon its periphery the Norse characters S S S, Followed by the nu merals I 0. The rest of the periphery of this disk is cut away, so that as soon as the numerals last named are transmitted. the circuit is Ul'lOlHHl, when the operator again turns the switch S to its original position, as shown in the drawing. The line is then tree for the resumption of ordinary business. It will. be seen Irom this that a large part of the manual operations of the operator have been done away with, and regularityand accuracyare given both to the preliminary and the [inal signals connected with the operation of the distrilnu-ion of time, while the clock-signals themselves are relayed in. such a manner as to give them lirmness and insure their certain transmissirm over a long line.

1' claim as my invention l. The combination of a main line having seeomlary l'llllfl lllOCOS ineludml therein, the branch lines 2, and. 3, the disks l), 15, and. l respectively connected. with said. lnanch lines, clock-work for rcvolvi u said disks, and the line L, connecting said disks with said mainline.

The combination of a eloekovork, the wheelv l3, torminga part thereof, the insulated disks D, .lC, and l", as descrilml, the key h, for releasing said clock-work, and the lines 1, 2, and i, and L, :t'or conner'eting said de vices with a telegraplrline.

23. The combination of a main line of. telegraph having secondary timepieces included. therein, the standard clock T, with its local ITS circuit, and the relay devices, as described, said train, the standard clock and its local consisting of atrain of Wheels and the levers circuit, the lines'L and L and the relaying X and Y, operating as described. devices V, substantially as described.

l. The combination of a main line, the In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- 5 switch S, the instrument A, for sending the scribed my name this 20th day of April, A. D. 15

preliminary signals for time-service, consist- 1889.

ing' of a train of Wheels, of which the WheelB CHESTER HENRY POND. forms a part, the device for stopping and re- Vitnesses: leasing said Wheel, as the pin p and the key H. J. LANG,

TO K, and the disks D, E, and F, operated by GEO. T. KNOX 

